


Old Friends

by hlravensnest_archivist



Category: Highlander: The Raven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-12-31
Updated: 2004-12-31
Packaged: 2018-12-16 22:14:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11838078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hlravensnest_archivist/pseuds/hlravensnest_archivist
Summary: Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived atHL Raven's Nest. Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address onHL Raven's Nest's collection profile.





	Old Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [HL Raven's Nest](http://fanlore.org/wiki/HL_Raven%27s_Nest). Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [HL Raven's Nest's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hlravensnest/profile).

Old Friends by RSS

  
  


_Old Friends_

By RSS 

* * *

Amanda is helping Nick and Bert on another job providing security for an American industrialist. Although she gave Nick the obligatory hard time when he asked her, she likes doing jobs for Nick, but doesn’t want him to think she’s easy. Officially, the industrialist is here for a trade conference, but there is some speculation he’s here to do some back channel negotiations. Nick and Amanda are scouting the area before the industrialist’s limousine arrives when Amanda feels the sensation of another Immortal and hears Nick’s voice in her earpiece. 

“Amanda, I’ve got one of those feelings.” 

Amanda scans the crowd of reporters spotting Gilbert Pinsard. Amanda grins. “The only thing I see in the crowd is an old friend of mine. He‘s one of the good guys.” 

“I see.” 

Amanda makes her way over to Gilbert. “Fancy meeting you here, Amanda.” 

“So you’re a journalist these days.” 

“Yes, and you’re in the security business. How times have changed.” 

“Changed and remained the same. I’m doing this for a friend.” Amanda hands Gilbert a card for The Sanctuary. “I own this place. Stop by when you get the chance.” 

“I might just do that.” 

* * *

Nick and Amanda walk into The Sanctuary and feel the sensation of another Immortal. Seconds later Amanda spots Gilbert with a woman next to him. She is a short woman with dark hair, eyes, and complexion. Amanda and Gilbert smile at each other as Gilbert and the woman make their way over to Amanda and Nick. 

“Gilbert, welcome to my club.” “It suits you well. This is Irene Hatmi. Irene this is Amanda--” 

“Montrose, and this is Nick Wolfe.” 

Irene smiles and nods at Amanda and Nick. 

“Amanda and I have known each other for a long time,” Gilbert says. They don’t say how long a time. Amanda glances over at the piano player. 

* * *

**HAMBURG, 1932**

Alfred Weiss plays the piano at Amanda’s club. Germany might be falling apart but inside her club all was right with the world. Then the rush of another Immortal reminds Amanda she can get away from the world but not The Game. Amanda scans the patrons. She breathes a sigh of relief when she sees it’s Gilbert in the company of a mortal woman. The woman has short dark hair and while she has on high heels, Gilbert is still a head over her. 

Amanda walks over to Gilbert. “Gilbert, welcome to my club.” 

“This place is yours?” 

“Yes, all mine.” 

“It suits you well. This is Marlene. Marlene, this is Amanda, an old friend.” 

“So now I have some competition?” 

“No darling, he’s all yours.” 

The music stops. 

“So from where do you know Gilbert?” 

“We met in Paris about a hundred years ago.” 

Gilbert looks at Amanda and shakes his head “No”. _So Marlene doesn’t know about us._

Marlene gives a broad smile. “You have a wonderful sense of humor Amanda.” 

“Marlene and I met at a political meeting.” 

“Yes, I don’t think I have Gilbert convinced yet. Today Germany is the center of the political world, what happens here will send ripples throughout the world.” 

“How interesting.” 

Amanda finds it boring but she feels she must be polite to the customers. She hears piano music and wonders what’s wrong with Alfred. He sounds like a mediocre pianist when he’s usually much better. Some baritones join in singing _The Horst Wessel._

“What the devil is going on? Excuse me.” 

Amanda walks towards the piano where there is a stranger at the piano with four large, muscular men singing. They all have on Nazi armbands. 

Alfred walks up to Amanda. “Miss Amanda, I didn’t know what to do.” 

“You should do exactly what you did. You can’t play for me in the hospital and I can’t make any money if the place gets wrecked.” 

Marlene raises her hand and screams, _“The International! ”_

Marlene sings _L’Internationale_ at the top of her lungs and Gilbert chimes in. Then a few others join in and many others join in at the chorus, drowning out the Nazis. Overwhelmed, the Nazis storm out of the club. 

* * *

**PRESENT TIME**

Amanda believes that incident inspired a scene in a movie. Gilbert always had an attraction to women who were politically active. 

“So Gilbert, how did you and Irene meet?” 

“I was covering the WTO conference in Geneva. Irene belongs to an NGO that was attending a counter conference.” 

Nick forces a smile. “So will you be doing any counter conferencing here?” 

“No, I’m here as an observer.” 

“Will you be on any of the lists?” 

“No, that’s the problem with these conferences. They only allow people in who are like-minded. So there is very little diversity in the input they get.” 

Amanda interjects, “I didn’t mean for this to turn into shop talk. Nick and I met in America a couple of years ago.” 

Nick gives a snide smile. “Now who’s talking shop?” 

Amanda smiles and takes Nick’s arm. “Why talk when we can dance?” Amanda leads Nick onto the dance floor. 

“Why did you pull me away Amanda?” 

“Are you complaining?” 

“No, just curious.” 

“My club is not the place for a political rally.” 

“How well do you know Gilbert?” 

“First death during the French Revolution. I met him about 150 years ago, just a few blocks from here. He found me too materialistic, I found him too political. Right now he’s probably telling Irene I’m still as shallow as I’ve always been. Lately he has been content to use the typewriter and camera to fight the good fight.” 

“As long as he does all his shooting with a camera we won’t have any problems.” 

Amanda remembers words, or a song, can sometimes be dangerous. 

* * *

**HAMBURG 1932**

Pounding on the door wakes Amanda. “Miss Amanda! Wake up!” 

It’s Alfred! Amanda smells smoke. “Get out! I’m right behind you!” Amanda puts on her nightgown and grabs her jewelry box. She hears Alfred coughing through the door. 

“Miss Amanda, hurry!” 

Amanda opens the door to a hallway full of smoke. “Alfred, this way! We’ll go out the window.” 

There is an approaching siren. They climb out the window and climb down the fire escape then run across the street and watch Amanda’s club burn to a charred shell. 

“I heard some glass break then a car speed off. When I looked outside my window I saw the flames.” 

“Alfred, you saved my life.” 

“I wouldn’t say that. It’s not as if I carried you out.” Amanda opens her jewelry box and takes a bundle of money out of it. She hands the money to Alfred. 

“Miss Amanda, I can’t take money for what I did.” 

“Take it, and get out of Germany. This place is going to the devil.” 

“What about you?” 

“I’ve got friends. I can get some money.” 

* * *

The next morning Amanda looks over the burned out skeleton that had been her business. When she senses another Immortal, she looks up to see Gilbert walking down the street. 

“It looks worse than I thought.” 

“Where’s your little friend? The one who caused this,” Amanda queried. 

“You can’t believe she had anything to do with this?” 

“It takes at least two people to start a bar fight. It’s the bar that takes most of the lumps. Get your own place for your girlfriends to use as a battleground.” 

* * *

**PRESENT TIME**

The American industrialist’s limousine is set to arrive in two minutes. Amanda senses Gilbert and knows he’s buried somewhere in the sea of reporters. When the limousine arrives she spots Gilbert, Irene next to him with a video camera. 

“Nick, Gilbert brought his little friend along.” 

“The better for her to observe.” 

The industrialist steps out of the car and Irene throws her camera into the air. Irene explodes, the blast knocking Amanda to the ground. Next, Irene’s camera explodes and Amanda feels sharp pains in her right shoulder, abdomen and right leg. There is screaming and crying, dead and wounded all over. Looking over to Nick, she sees him holding his side and bleeding from his face. Bert is slowly rolling on the ground and Nick staggers over to him. Amanda waves her hand for Nick to come to her, taking off her microphone. Amanda feels the pain subsiding and slowly rises to her feet, limping over to Nick and Bert. 

She whispers in Nick’s ear, “Nick, we can’t expose ourselves.” 

“I know. We’re lucky Gilbert didn’t get his head blown off.” 

“Still, another trip to the morgue. Gilbert, he knows how to pick ’em.” 

Amanda surveys the carnage as she feels herself heal. The industrialist is dead, but Amanda tends to the wounded. 

* * *

The television shows the bombing scene as the announcer explains what happened. 

…The second bomb went off seconds later. The death toll stands at   
seventeen. The dead includes one of our own, journalist Gilbert Pinsard…. 

The television shows a photograph of Gilbert. 

Amanda and Gilbert watch the television in Amanda’s suite when Nick walks in. “Bert will live.” 

Gilbert has an apologetic tone in his voice. “I’m glad he’ll be all right. You have to believe I had no idea she would do that.” 

Nick shakes his head. “That same excuse was probably around before you were born. It was probably just as lame then.” 

* * *

**EPILOGUE  
NEW YORK, 1985**

Amanda is in Radio City Music Hall seated next to a tall, dark, and handsome Immortal. She plans on leaving town tomorrow since the City will be the place of a Gathering and Amanda wants to be in some other place. She doesn’t want to think about that now. Tonight is a night for old friends. 

The curtain opens, revealing Alfred Weiss sitting at the piano. She listens and remembers as he gives his farewell performance. This is one of those times Amanda can think back with pride at how she helped make the world a better place. 

**THE END**

* * *

[L'Internationale lyrics](http://www.ingeb.org/songs/deboutia.html)

© 2004   
Please send comments to the author! 

* * *  
  
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